by Kevin Berens, iMedia Summit

On my return flight from Amelia Island, FL, I was reflecting on my time at the 2016 iMedia Brand Summit. It truly was an exceptional experience. Meeting so many new faces and hanging around with the ol’ friendlies was an absolute joy.

For those who were fortunate to attend the 2016 Brand Summit this week in Amelia Island, you made it to the premier industry event, serving senior-level brand marketers across a dozen vertical markets. Your attendance is greatly appreciated and is considered central to an integrated networking and learning experience.

The iMedia Brand Summit featured some of the most recognized brand names, including: United Airlines, Best Buy, Bridgestone, HP, Ashland/Valvoline, Heineken, Coca-Cola, Mead Johnson, The Hershey Company, and many more, adding to a long list of brand names and guest influencers.

Rounding out the summit, Brian Solis, keynote speaker and author of “X: The Experience When Business Meets Design,” explored how crafting experiences build relationships and produce measured results. Solis described, “ignorance plus arrogance equals irrelevance.” The view that marketing is not just a funnel — it’s an entire journey. Marketing has the opportunity to take over the entire consumer experience, as long as you bridge the gap between a brand’s wants and a consumer’s needs.

This has been one of the most meaningful and influential summits in my career due to the high-level audience engagement, peer-to-peer networking, and content delivered. All sessions gelled and assimilated into a cohesive experience — one that iMedia is expert at creating.